February 15, 2025
I stand before you as a woman. I stand before you as a Muslim. A covered Muslim.
You might assume that this is all I represent. That my voice only speaks for people like me.
But you couldn't be more wrong.
I represent the minority. I represent everyone who has ever felt unseen, unheard, misunderstood.
I could be anyone. Who I am, what I believe in, or what I choose to wear doesn't matter; it doesn't define the value of my words. For all you know, I could be covered in tattoos beneath my clothes. But does any of this change my right to speak? To work? To exist without fear or judgment?
What matters is that we are all represented equally. We all get a space to exist, to do our best work, and to be recognized for that work.
What matters is that our stories don't disappear. That our lives aren't erased.
You may not see the problem in your own professional life. You may think that hard work or talent alone determines success. But let's take a step back and look at the bigger picture.
Take any industry, any path in life.
Representation isn't just about visibility. It's about opportunities, success, and the ability to shape the world we live in.
When people don't see themselves represented in an industry, they are less likely to believe they belong there.
Fewer applications for degrees, fewer candidates for jobs. People feel as less than. Their accomplishments are not recognized, yet their mistakes are inflated. They don't get the praise and the recognition they deserve, but they do get all the blame.
Lack of diversity also leads to groupthink - a phenomenon that appear when a group is made up of people of similar backgrounds, of similar genders, and skin color. People are more likely to think alike and not ask any probing questions or raise objections. It may limit their perspectives, but it may also lead to irrational and dehumanizing actions directed against out-groups. We can see plenty of examples of groupthink in today's world.
But is this the world we want to live in? Where everyone thinks the same, looks the same, and does the same thing?
Malcolm Gladwell explored an interesting idea in his book Revenge of the Tipping Point. He questioned cultural and ideological shifts - what it takes to change a group.
I'm most fascinated by how our communities influence us in ways we don't even realize. [...] We should be looking more closely at the communities we are part of and how they shape us unconsciously.
He came up with the rule of magic third. An idea that when outsiders in a group reach a certain threshold, about a third, the whole group dynamic shifts. You don't need half of the group to agree on something or the majority. All it takes is one-third. Why magic? Because we don't quite understand why it happens, but studies suggest it does.
One-third of a group or an industry believing that diversity matters. One-third of leadership roles filled by people that are not white men. One-third of decision-makers reflecting different backgrounds and lived experiences.
One-third.
You might think that I'm being overly political and you don't care for it. I've been told as much a few times since founding Larabelles. I'm breaking a perfectly good community and politicizing it.
But my very existence is political. The world made it so. And while I have the opportunity to speak, I will.
Diversity is not a dirty word. It's a human power. Let's celebrate our differences and use our skills and talents to build a better world.
Representation doesn't just matter. It transforms lives.